Removal of impacted food in children with eosinophilic esophagitis using Saeed banding device

Endoscopy in Pediatric Eosinophilic Esophagitis

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic allergen-mediated clinicopathologic condition that currently requires esophagogastroduodenoscopy with biopsies and histologic evaluation to diagnose and monitor its progress. This state-of-the art review outlines the pathophysiology of EoE, reviews the application of endoscopy as a diagnostic and therapeutic tool, and discusses potential complications related to therapeutic endoscopic interventions. It also introduces recent innovations that can enhance the endoscopist's ability to diagnose and monitor EoE with minimally invasive procedures and perform therapeutic maneuvers more safely and effectively.

Inpatient Pediatric Foreign Body Ingestion: National Estimates and Resource Utilization

OBJECTIVE

We generated national estimates of patient and hospitalization characteristics for pediatric inpatient admissions for foreign body ingestion (FBI) and compared these to admissions for other reasons. We further identified characteristics that were independently associated with length of stay (LOS). Finally, we hypothesized that endoscopy within 24 hours of admission was independently associated with a shorter LOS in patients admitted for FBI.

METHODS

In this retrospective study, we used data from the Kids' Inpatient Database for 2016. Admissions for FBI were identified and national estimates of patient and hospitalization characteristics were generated. Patients admitted for FBI were compared to patients admitted for other causes. Data were analyzed for independent associations with LOS. Subgroup analysis was performed to determine whether early endoscopy was associated with a shorter LOS.

RESULTS

A total of 2464 admissions for FBI were identified in the database. The median (interquartile range) patient age was 4 (1-11) years with a slight male predominance. Most patients (82.6%) had an endoscopy performed during admission. Independent factors associated with increased LOS included: airway procedures, intra-abdominal surgery, psychiatric diagnosis, esophageal disorder, and developmental delay. Among patients who required endoscopy, 56.7% were performed early (within 24 hours). Early endoscopy was independently associated with a 35% shorter LOS (incidence rate ratio = 0.65, 95% confidence interval 0.54-0.80; P=0.009).

CONCLUSIONS

Inpatient admissions for FBI frequently require endoscopy and have a short LOS. In patients who require endoscopy during the admission, early endoscopy (within 24 hours of admission) may be associated with a shorter LOS.

Endoscopy in Pediatric Eosinophilic Esophagitis

Endoscopy and mucosal biopsies are essential to the diagnosis of EoE. Together they either confirm or exclude mucosal eosinophilia and provide a visual inspection of the esophagus that may be consistent with EoE or suggest other underlying etiologies. Endoscopy also plays an important therapeutic role in the management of EoE including the assessment of treatment response and treatment of associated complications including esophageal stricture and food impaction. Assessment of treatment response largely depends on endoscopy and mucosal biopsies although less invasive strategies may eventually provide alternative means to assess mucosal inflammation. Herein we will review current use of endoscopy in EoE, including recently developed technologies and their role in the management of EoE.

Eosinophilic esophagitis: historical perspective on an evolving disease

Initial case series describing children and adults with symptoms related to esophageal dysfunction and dense esophageal eosinophilia lead to recognition of a "new" disease, eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). Clinical, basic, and translational studies have provided a deeper understanding of this somewhat enigmatic disease that mechanistically is defined as an antigen-driven condition limited to the esophagus. This article summarizes many of the key historical features of EoE and provides a glimpse of potential future developments.

Toward uniformity in the diagnosis of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE): the effect of guidelines on variability of diagnostic criteria for EoE

OBJECTIVES

Recent consensus guidelines for diagnosis of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) have been published. Whether these guidelines have standardized diagnostic criteria for EoE is unknown. We aimed to determine if the EoE guidelines had an impact on the diagnostic criteria reported in the EoE literature, and whether the previously observed variability in diagnostic criteria has become more uniform.

METHODS

Two investigators independently conducted a MEDLINE search from 1 January 2007 through 30 June 2010 for all publications reporting EoE in human subjects, and also searched the proceedings of the 2007-2010 American College of Gastroenterology and American Gastroenterological Association meetings, using a predefined search strategy. Data were extracted from all relevant publications.

RESULTS

Of the 799 publications identified, 149 original reports, 99 reviews, and 165 abstracts were included. In all, 32 original reports (21%) used diagnostic criteria consistent with each of the three components of the consensus guidelines. There was a significant increase when comparing original articles published after the release of the guidelines with those published earlier (31 vs. 6%, P<0.001). The proportion of original articles using 15 eosinophils per high-power field (eos/hpf) as a histological cut-point increased significantly (P=0.001). There was still substantial variability in biopsy protocols and eosinophil count methodology. The majority of original articles did not report microscope high-power field (HPF) area.

CONCLUSIONS

The proportion of original reports with diagnostic criteria consistent with the consensus guidelines has increased significantly. However, the majority of articles still did not conform to all three of the criteria in the guidelines, and biopsy and eosinophil count protocols continue to demonstrate significant variability. Standardization of biopsy and eosinophil count protocols is needed.